Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) throws a pass against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stadiu... Utah Utes defensive end Bradlee Anae (6) applies pressure on NIU quarterback Marcus Childers (15) during a college football g... Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) carries the bvall against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stadi... Amanda Owens and her daughter Ashlyn Owens 10, of Maumee Ohio made the drive to Northern Illinois University to cheer for Ama... Ashlyn Owens, 10, of Maumee Ohio the niece of the Utah Utes assistant coach Jim Harding gets her ticket scanned before the st... Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) throws a pass against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stadiu... Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) carries the ball on a keeper against the NIU Huskies during a college football game a... Utah Utes wide receiver Britain Covey (18) attempts to run after the catch against NIU safety Trayshon Foster (11) during a c... Utah Utes linebacker Cody Barton (30) and defensive back Marquise Blair (13) hit NIU running back Tre Harbison (22) in the b... Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) carries the ball against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stadiu... Utah Utes defensive back Jaylon Johnson (1) hits NIU running back Marcus Jones (21) after the catch for a stop during a colle... Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) looks downfield against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stad... Utah Utes linebacker Chase Hansen (22) recovers a fumble against the NIU Huskies in the third quarter of play during a colleg... Utah Utes linebacker Chase Hansen (22) intercepts a pass by NIU Huskies quarterback Marcus Childers (not pictured) and return... Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) carries the ball against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stadiu... Utah Utes defensive back Julian Blackmon (23) goes up high to deflect a pass intended for NIU Huskies wide receiver Jauan Wes...

Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) throws a pass against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 08, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes defensive end Bradlee Anae (6) applies pressure on NIU quarterback Marcus Childers (15) during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 08, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) carries the bvall against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 08, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Amanda Owens and her daughter Ashlyn Owens 10, of Maumee Ohio made the drive to Northern Illinois University to cheer for Amanda's brother assistant coach of the Utah Utes Jim Harding and his Utah Utes against the NIU Huskies at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 08, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Ashlyn Owens, 10, of Maumee Ohio the niece of the Utah Utes assistant coach Jim Harding gets her ticket scanned before the start of a college football game between the Northern Illinois Huskies and the Utah Utes at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 08, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) throws a pass against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 08, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) carries the ball on a keeper against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 08, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes wide receiver Britain Covey (18) attempts to run after the catch against NIU safety Trayshon Foster (11) during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 08, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes linebacker Cody Barton (30) and defensive back Marquise Blair (13) hit NIU running back Tre Harbison (22) in the backfield for a loss during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 08, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) carries the ball against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 08, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes defensive back Jaylon Johnson (1) hits NIU running back Marcus Jones (21) after the catch for a stop during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 08, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes quarterback Tyler Huntley (1) looks downfield against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes linebacker Chase Hansen (22) recovers a fumble against the NIU Huskies in the third quarter of play during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes linebacker Chase Hansen (22) intercepts a pass by NIU Huskies quarterback Marcus Childers (not pictured) and returns it back for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter of play at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 08, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes running back Zack Moss (2) carries the ball against the NIU Huskies during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)Utah Utes defensive back Julian Blackmon (23) goes up high to deflect a pass intended for NIU Huskies wide receiver Jauan Wesley (9) during a college football game at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018 (Sean King | for The Salt Lake Tribune)

That's understandable. Coaches usually think differently than the rest of the world, being willing to accept a win and move ahead. Whittingham reacted like any fan would Saturday, worrying that his team's struggles for 57 minutes against a Group of Five team and his offense's 10-point showing suggest trouble ahead. The Utes have one of the country's toughest remaining schedules, starting with Washington, Stanford and USC among their first five conference games.

Even before his team took the field, Whittingham publicly wondered about the value of playing this road game, far from any part of Utah's recruiting area and in the smallest stadium where the Utes have played in 40 years. As the game unfolded, and the Utes genuinely were in danger of losing, he hardly was the only one questioning the whole idea.

The Utes did survive this misadventure; that's consoling. As Whittingham said, “Thank goodness for the defense.” And maybe this is the most refreshing part of the whole exercise: They know this stuff is not good enough.

“This isn't an offense that's going to wallow in self-pity because of a rough performance,” Covey promised.

That's just the problem, though. Covey couldn't find complete joy in his own eight-catch, 129-yard showing. Not when the offense needed his clutch plays just to produce one touchdown and one field goal. Utah's litany of problems sounds like a repeat of the season opener, only worse – because of the higher quality of opponents in the Pac-12.

The Utes said nice things about these Huskies, as they should have. After being sacked six times, partly because NIU's coverage made him hold the ball too long, quarterback Tyler Huntley acknowledged, “I give it to 'em; they had a good, little D-line and they just made plays at the right time.”

So did Hansen, who's part of a Utah defense that has allowed only one touchdown in two games, via Weber State's 2-yard drive. Hansen's group outscored NIU 7-6, thanks to the linebacker's 40-yard pick-six on the first play on what might have become the Huskies' winning drive. With the Utes leading 10-6 in the last three minutes, he jumped in front of a receiver on a crossing route, caught the ball and raced to the end zone.

“Luckily, I didn't overrun it,” he said.

Thankfully, the Ute offense received that kind of help. The numbers appear respectable; Huntley completed 20 of 31 passes for 286 yards. But sacks, holding penalties and other drive-killing mistakes made any stats seem hollow – and a 354-yard night is not much production for a Power Five offense.

It was illogical for anyone to lump Weber State and Northern Illinois together as a season-opening package of easy wins for Utah, considering the Huskies' credentials as a solid Group of Five program. Even so, the Utes' struggles for nearly 60 minutes Saturday were disturbing.

For the second game in a row, the Utes had a field-goal try blocked, were stuffed on a fourth-and-1 running play and lost the ball via a punt-return mixup.

Some victories evoke happiness; other merely offer relief. And in college football, there are some Huskies, and then there are other Huskies. The Utes understand that concept, fully.